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URI treatment options

JandfpiggiesUK

JandfpiggiesUK

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi everyone.

I’ve booked Jaffa into the vets tomorrow to see our usual vet who is good with the boys.

Jaffa has had some snuffly breathing going on over the last few days, he’s not coughing or sneezing, he’s eating well & is happy in himself.

I think the sniffles is coming from his nose as when I put my ear to his chest there’s no wheezing going on.

Previously when I took him about snuffles the vet said she’d be reluctant to prescribe antibiotics as he doesn’t have a full blown Uri, she gave me metacam and said that should help with flare ups. Thankfully he was okay.

Back to today. If the vet says the same tomorrow and gives him metacam do I ask for antibiotics?

My friend who has a piggy has been troubled with URI’s a lot over the past year and says her vet still gives her piggy medicine to treat the sniffles.
Should I push for antibiotics?

I really don’t want Jaffa being ill, especially over Christmas!
 
Does the snuffly breathing happen constantly, or is intermittent such as when eating?
 
Guinea pigs have very narrow airways and if they eat too fast it can cause snuffly sounds and coughing, they can’t breathe through their mouths. So if you are only noticing it when eating and his lungs and heart sound good at present and there are no other URI symptoms, then I would doubt a URI is the cause in this instance. You need to get a vet to confirm though.
 
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Piggies&buns said:
Guinea pigs have very narrow airways and if they eat too fast it can cause snuffly sounds and coughing, they can’t breathe through their mouths. So if you are only noticing it when eating and his lungs and heart sound good at present and there are no other URI symptoms, then I would doubt a URI is the cause in this instance. You need to get a vet to confirm though.
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Thank you for your help. He’s booked in for tomorrow as I mentioned earlier. Will update this post when I’m back from the vets.
 
JandfpiggiesUK said:
Thank you for your help. He’s booked in for tomorrow as I mentioned earlier. Will update this post when I’m back from the vets.
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Hi! Good that you have booked him in for a check.

Breathing problems tend to be more noticeable when a piggy eating, whether that is just a slightly blocked nose from a bit of hay dust (some piggies can be very senstive to that) or a fully develop respiratory illness of whatever sort. Yours doesn't sound like it is an acute infection in full swing, so I would not be too worried; but as it is an ongoing/repeated issue it is best to have to checked out!
All the best!
 
Update:

Vet said that Jaffa sounded okay but he was a bit clicky. She’s prescribed him a full bottle of baytril, 0.8ml twice a day & 0.5ml metacam once a day. She’s given me enough of both to hopefully last over Christmas (hoping and praying he won’t need it then). She said give him 7-10 days and see how he goes.
 
So Jaffa had his first lot of baytril & metacam earlier, about 4pm.

I don’t know if it’s just me but I’m noticing his breathing more now? Does this sort of thing get worse before better?
 
JandfpiggiesUK said:
So Jaffa had his first lot of baytril & metacam earlier, about 4pm.

I don’t know if it’s just me but I’m noticing his breathing more now? Does this sort of thing get worse before better?
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You notice the breathing more when you concentrate on it. Please also keep in mind that it takes at least a day or two for the antibiotic to kick in and several days to pick up.

However, clicking deep in the chest can be a symptom of pneumonia, so if you see your boy deteriorating, losing their appetite and struggling to breathe with the sides heaving please have him seen as an emergency at any time of day.
Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
 
Wiebke said:
You notice the breathing more when you concentrate on it. Please also keep in mind that it takes at least a day or two for the antibiotic to kick in and several days to pick up.

However, clicking deep in the chest can be a symptom of pneumonia, so if you see your boy deteriorating, losing their appetite and struggling to breathe with the sides heaving please have him seen as an emergency at any time of day.
Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
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You’re scaring me now!
He’s not heaving at all, like you said it’s probably me being paranoid now that I know he’s on baytril. I’ll weigh him daily and make sure his weight maintains or even increases. I’m a responsible owner, I wouldn’t ever let Jaffa get like that!
 
JandfpiggiesUK said:
You’re scaring me now!
He’s not heaving at all, like you said it’s probably me being paranoid now that I know he’s on baytril. I’ll weigh him daily and make sure his weight maintains or even increases. I’m a responsible owner, I wouldn’t ever let Jaffa get like that!
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I didn't want to scare you but give you the real danger signs so you can see for yourself that your boy is nowhere near - however it is good to know what are the red alarm signals to look out for, just in case. And also to have a bookmarked link so you know what to do. All the necessary information is included in that one link to help people in a panic. ;)

If you are nowhere near the red alarm, then you can breathe easy and just keep an eye out on the weight and appetite. Most piggies can deal well with baytril but in some it can have appetite dampening side effects. In that case, the link below can help as well as stepping in which extra feed on top of the normal diet once the weight loss is over 50g.
Probiotics, Recovery Foods And Vitamin C: Overview With Product Links
 
I definitely don’t think it’s pneumonia. I’ve had a guinea pig who has suffered from pneumonia and bronchitis on separate occasions. The symptoms are very different. Mainly the effort used to take a breath. It can get worse before it gets better as it takes around 3 days for the antibiotics to begin working, so until then you probably won’t see much of an improvement. Best advice don’t worry and keep doing what you’re doing. Jaffa is in the best hands and considering he’s only started on the antibiotics today he’s been a trouper. Just watch for change in behaviour and loss of appetite. Which I know you already do. Ask your vet for cisapride if you’re worried about his food intake and gut x
 
Will his antibiotics make him feel off colour? He doesn’t seem to be pooping much but he’s still being his usual naughty self!
 

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JandfpiggiesUK said:
Does Baytril affect the appetite?
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Antibiotics can upset tummies. Giving probiotics alongside antibiotics is usually advised to counteract the effects. But, leaving at least an hour between giving a dose of antibiotics and a dose of probiotics.
Lack of poop is a sign of lack of food intake. If he isn’t eating enough, then stepping in with support syringe feeding is a good idea.
In addition to the probiotics link wiebke tagged in above, Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
 
Baytril tastes vile and can affect appetite but not always. As @Piggies&buns has suggested some probiotic can help. You can use ProC which you can buy from pet shops or online. I just mix a pinch into water and offer it in a syringe. All my piggies love it and will line up to take it. However, as explained, you need to give it at least an hour after the antibiotic.
if you weigh daily that is a good indicator whether your piggy is eating enough. If he isn’t eating then topping up with syringe feed is always a good idea.
 
Thanks to both. He’s having a good nibble on anything that’s not food. Had that trouble with him previously when he was given Zithromax for his chest. He is definitely eating and drinking just not as much as usual. I’ll weigh him daily when I can & try and do that the same time each day. He’s still his naughty cheeky self, just sleepy and grumpy at the moment.
 
UPDATE-

Jaffa didn’t seem to be reacting well to the baytril. He was on it for three days & ive never seen him the way he was before, it scared me. He wasn’t eating as much, sometimes sitting hunched up & just wasn’t right. I followed my gut as I hadn’t seen him react to antibiotics that way before and rang the vets.

Originally the vet wanted to give him sulfatrim but it wasn’t in stock at the time and he’d have to wait an extra 2 days before starting treatment. I didn’t want to delay him getting better so I just agreed to use the other option which was baytril.
So now he’s been given sulfatrim. He hasn’t had baytril for 12 hours now & he seems so much better!

I will continue to give him probiotics a few hours after to keep his gut going.
 
I found Baytril really affected my past piggy Sheepy too, much better on Sulfatrim and even the Zithromax which is pretty strong stuff! So glad he’s feeling a bit less rubbish, hope the sulfatrim works better for him x
 
Glad you consulted the vet and got a different antibiotic, 4 of my piggies have been absolutely fine with baytril but gorgeous Jezzy floof didnt get on with it at all, she lost over 100g weight in a week! She went very bony for a big girl and even the vet was quite worried. Luckily when the baytril stopped and we started giving Pro-C probiotic and supplementary syringe feeds of recovery food and some extra weight gain snacks like porridge oats and sweet potato she gained the weight back just as fast :)
 
Thank you. He seems much better this morning. The vet has given me a big recovery syringe if I want to give him a little extra food intake. I have some critical care & fine grind critical care so I’m prepared to help him.
 
JandfpiggiesUK said:
Thank you. He seems much better this morning. The vet has given me a big recovery syringe if I want to give him a little extra food intake. I have some critical care & fine grind critical care so I’m prepared to help him.
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You might find it easier to feed recovery food from a small 1ml syringe with the end cut off to make it wider rather than the giant syringe supplied with the recovery food- you can buy these online or at a pharmacy if your vet doesnt have any, though many piggies who are eating ok mostly enjoy licking recovery food from a spoon or a piece of carrot or cucumber instead!
 
PigglePuggle said:
You might find it easier to feed recovery food from a small 1ml syringe with the end cut off to make it wider rather than the giant syringe supplied with the recovery food- you can buy these online or at a pharmacy if your vet doesnt have any, though many piggies who are eating ok mostly enjoy licking recovery food from a spoon or a piece of carrot or cucumber instead!
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I’ve tried this method but I can’t get the recovery food to go up the syringe. I’ve tried so many times to get it through and even adjusted the consistency, it just doesn’t work!
 
Jaffa’s poop has changed. It seems thinner than normal. He’s maintaining his weight so far. What can I do to get it back to normal?
 
Please help:

So I’ve weighed Jaffa this morning. He’s gone down to 1294g from 1336g.
Is weight loss normal when on antibiotics?
 
JandfpiggiesUK said:
Please help:

So I’ve weighed Jaffa this morning. He’s gone down to 1294g from 1336g.
Is weight loss normal when on antibiotics?
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This is a little over the 30g normal daily fluctuations. (The difference between a full/empty bladder/tummy)
Is this one you report here the first weight loss you have noticed since being on antibiotics?
Is your piggy eating by himself? How often are you syringe feeding him?
 
Some weight loss can happen on antibiotics but I wouldnt panic yet, he seems like a big hefty pig so 40g isnt that much. If he seems to still be eating ok weigh him tomorrow and see if he has lost anymore. Is he taking his recovery food, and does he have a probiotic? If he isnt eating though he needs to see the vet, but if he is just continue to monitor him x
 
Piggies&buns said:
This is a little over the 30g normal daily fluctuations. (The difference between a full/empty bladder/tummy)
Is this one you report here the first weight loss you have noticed since being on antibiotics?
Is your piggy eating by himself? How often are you syringe feeding him?
Click to expand...
Yes, he’s maintained since he’s been on the sulfatrim, usually fluctuated to a higher weight.

Oh he’s definitely eating on his own, loads of hay, quite a bit of veg and he’s been having little fruity treats and biscuits off me after his medicine. He seems fine and well in himself, he was racing round our living room last night chewing anything he could find (including my new boots).
 
PigglePuggle said:
Some weight loss can happen on antibiotics but I wouldnt panic yet, he seems like a big hefty pig so 40g isnt that much. If he seems to still be eating ok weigh him tomorrow and see if he has lost anymore. Is he taking his recovery food, and does he have a probiotic? If he isnt eating though he needs to see the vet, but if he is just continue to monitor him x
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Thanks. He’s eating okay, I’ve now started to feed him separate to his little friend as fudge is quite the greedy pig so I like Jaffa to get a good share of the food I feed them. He’s been getting pro c probiotic a few hours after his medicine. He’s had about 10ml of his critical care this morning, although most of it went on his face!
 
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